Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius
February 8, 2015
Spiritual Ponderings
St. Peter’s Fall and Reconciliation

As we move through the month of February and look at what led to St. Peter’s denial of Christ and how he eventually reconciled with Christ, we will continue using Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s book: Characters of the Passion: Lessons on Faith and Trust. Quotes from his book will be in bold and my thoughts will be in the normal font.

Substitution of Action for prayer
Most souls still feeling the necessity of doing something for God and the Church turn to the solace of activity. Instead of going from prayer to action, they neglect the prayer and become busy about many things. It is so easy to think we are doing God’s work when we are only in motion or being fussy.

Unfortunately “being busy” has become a status symbol today. There are times when we feel people will like us better if we considered “busy people.” Being busy can also become dangerous when it stops us from entering into meaningful relationships with God and others out of a fear of being rejected by others. Plus most people do not make good decisions when they are busy because they become less aware of the total picture.

Peter is no exception. In the turmoil of the arrest of Our Blessed Lord which followed, Peter, who had already been armed with two swords, allows his usual impetuosity to get the better of him. Slashing out rather recklessly at the army gang, what he strikes is not a soldier at all, but a slave of the High Priest. As a swordsman Peter was a good fisherman. The slave steps aside, and the blow aimed at the crown of his head merely cuts off his ears. Our Blessed Lord restored the ear by a miracle, and then turning to Peter said, “…Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mathew 26:52). Divinity has no need of it. He could summon twelve legions of angels to His aid if He wished. The Church must never fight with the weapons of the world.

Here like Peter, I want to fight with weapons of the world. If someone wrongs me I want revenge. This is why prayer is so important because it helps me to remember that the world’s ways do not lead to happiness only God’s ways do.

Lukewarmness
Experience soon proves that religious activity without prayer soon degenerates into indifference. At this stage souls become indifferent. They believe one can be too religious too zealous, or “spend too much time in church.” Peter exemplifies this truth.
A few hours later, Our Blessed Lord is led before His judges—and one is almost inclined to say, “May God forgive us for calling them judges.” As the sad procession moves on in the unutterable loneliness where the God-man freely subjects Himself to the evil darts of others, the gospel records, “and Peter followed Him from afar.” He had given up prayer, then action, and now. Only his eyes remain on the Master.

The days that I think I am the worse Catholic are not days in which I commit major sins but rather days in which I wonder if anyone would even know that I am a Catholic. If Peter had been next to Jesus then there would be no way for Peter to deny him. Peter on the other hand went from being feverent (even if I should have to die) to very passive (I tell you I do not even know the man,” all in a matter of hours. I feel like I can do it sometimes in a matter of minutes.

We still linger as from force of habit—or perhaps even from remorse of conscience—in the footsteps of the Master, but out of the range of both His eyes and His voice. It is in such moments that souls say, “God has forgotten me.” When the truth is that is not God who leaves us, it is we who stray on behind.

I know that if God has forgotten me then I would cease to exist but yet I still doubt His love despite the fact that I am here. Mother Teresa despite years of dryness never doubted in God because she had thrown her whole self into doing his will. I hope and pray that I can do the same.

Once the divine fades in life, the material begins to assert itself. The excessive dedication to luxury and refinement is always an indication of the inner poverty of the spirit. When the treasures that rust consumes, moths eat, and thieves break through and steal. When the inner beauty is gone, we need luxuries to clothe our nakedness.